First, a confession: I did not expect this book to win me over. A confirmed cynic, I naturally am on guard against the sentimental or prosaic. But, contrary to my intentions, I fell for the story, its characters, and veterinarian Nick Trout’s insightful writing.

Love Is the Best Medicine is Trout’s second book. His Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Lifeas an Animal Surgeon has been loved by many Bark readers; it offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a typically hectic and fascinating day in the life of a veterinary surgeon at Boston’s Angell Medical Center. Love Is the Best Medicine takes a different tack, delving deep into the lives of two exceptional dogs and the people whose lives they affect, not least Dr. Trout’s.

The narrative follows the medical plight of two parties: Helen, a stray elderly Cocker Spaniel with the good fortune to cross the paths of Eileen and Ben Aronson; and Cleo, a Miniature Pinscher with an unusual and enduring gift, whose owner, Sandi Rasmussen, possesses an incredible generosity of spirit. But at its essence, Love is bigger than the story of these two dogs and their people; it is a meditation on benevolence, selflessness and guilt. It is an acknowledgment of the power inherent in an acute bond between a pet and her person. It is what happens when a scientist accepts that this power has the capacity to heal.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the one problem I found: On two occa- sions, the author refers approvingly to Cesar Millan. Dr. Trout would do well to check in with the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, and the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians (among others), all of whom have spoken out against the punishment-based methods used by Millan.

Love Is the Best Medicine will likely cause tears, but not from any manipulative pulling of heartstrings. The tears — not to mention chills — come in response to acts of kindness performed by exceptional people and animals. And, while Helen and Cleo truly are extraordinary dogs, and Eileen and Sandi extraordinary dog guardians, they also represent us — when we open our hearts and give away what is so freely given to us.